CONTENTS CHAPTER I " Do yon know are they worthy ? " — The chief concern of Pius X — The present state of the clergy — The clerical standard — The Sacred Scripture addresses priests — The duties of a priest require sanctity — What the people expect — A man of prayer — The Mass — Mental prayer — Devotional reading — Self-examination 1-17 CHAPTER II Attende Lectioni — Advantages of a taste for reading — How to read — The choice of books — A priest not a mere bookworm — The science of human conduct — Not mere casuistry — Treatises on Ascetical Theology — Useful books for the laity — Dogma — Sacred Scriptures — The traditional philosophy of the Church — The Book of Nature — The proper study of mankind is Man 18-37 CHAPER III Clerical concord — One of the best means thereto — Envy — Sectionalism — Censoriousness — Questionings — Precautions — Episcopal visitation and inspection — Introspection — Purposes 38-54 CHAPTER IV The prudence of a priest — How acquired — Diversity of human character — To win the people's confidence — Systematic visitation of one's flock — Political questions — Parochial schools — Vocations to the religious life — Dealings with religious communities 55-74 CHAPTER V Gentleness, especially in correction 75-79 CHAPTER VI " Manners maketh man " — How acquired — Newman's definition of a gentleman — A balance for thy words — Consideration for others — The exterior 80-88 CHAPTER VII Sympathy with others — Various ways of showing it — Leo XIII on the condition of the working-classes 89-97 CHAPTER VIII A priest's house — Servant — Rules of health — Solicitude about health — Greed for money — Contributions of the faithful — Rules of business — Some precautions — Letters 98-111 CHAPTER IX Sacramental efficacy — Faithful dispensers of the mysteries of God — Baptism and sponsorship — Clerical vocations — The encouragement of frequent Communion — Children and the Holy Table 112-126 CHAPTER X Matrimony holy and indissoluble— Safeguards against mixed marriages — " Engagements " — Promise of marriage 127-137 CHAPTER XI Value of the confessional — Upright and learned judges — The duty of interrogating penitents — The method — Concealment of sin — Preventives — Necessity of exhorting penitents to a change of life — Efficacy of exhortations in the tribunal of Penance — Examples — Errors of penitents — Their correction — Priest as physician — A few practical rules 138-162 CHAPTER XII Children and Confession 163-168 CHAPTER XIII Principles of the spiritual life — Spiritual growth is slow — Plebeian virtues — The test of spirituality — Formation of good habits — Devotions — Temptations — Remedies — Temptations against holy purity 169-176 CHAPTER XIV Visitation of the sick — Antecedently to a sick-call — Contrition — Priest and doctor — Safeguards against contagion — During a sick-call — Temporal concerns of the dying — Absolution — Symptoms of death — Latent life 177-195 CHAPTER XV Confraternities, their utility — Canonical erection — Affiliation — Reception into— Selection and management of — Total Abstinence societies — Societies for the young — Petition to Bishop— Rules of a confraternity —Officers — The duties of a Director — Confraternity XS ; funds — Treatment of members 196-2x2 CHAPTER XVI The duty of preaching — The ordinary subject-matter — Recurrent topics — Conferences — Brevity and simplicity — Earnestness — Artificial earnestness — Definiteness — Inaccuracy — Ut placeat — The Bible — Illustrations — Scribere quatn plurimum — Stereotyped sermons — Memorizing — Prayer before preaching 213-232 CHAPTER XVII Two-fold aim of catechist — Interesting instructions — Discipline of childish tendencies — Frequency of catechetical instructions 233-239 CHAPTER XVIII Christian education — Purely secular education — Practical conclusions 240-244 CHAPTER XIX The Press, its vast power — The duty of Catholics — A good Catholic journal 245-251 CHAPTER XX Missions, their value — How rendered effective — The duty of the local clergy 252-256 CHAPTER XXI Our duty to those who are not Catholics — Inquirers after truth — Instruction of a convert — Reception — After reception 257-265 CHAPTER XXII Why and how we honour the dead — From the church to the grave — Funeral discourses — The Catholic cemetery — Refusal of ecclesiastical burial 266-278 CONCLUSION Christ speaks to His Apostles — The Apostle Paul writes to a young priest — The Church addresses her ministers — St. Chrysostom on the priesthood — St. Gregory the Great describes the good pastor — A modern episcopal admonition 279-287 APPENDIX Danger of the priesthood to a half-trained youth — Missionary's oath — De castilate servanda — Study — The study of Newman — The reading of novels — The reading of the Bible — Money matters — The Sacraments — Devotions 289-316 Bibliography 317-326 Index 327-332 Digitized by Google.

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